Process of making nuts



Sept. 5, 1933. J FlTQH r AL 1,925,753

PROCESS OF MAKING NUTS Filed June 23, 1930 Patented Sept. 5, 1933 UNITED STATES PROCESS OF MAKING NUTS Jason A. Fitch and Clifford D. Watson,

Youngstown. Ohio Application June 23. 1930. Serial No. 463,196

' 7 Claims. (01. 10-86) Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in nuts and the process of making the same, and the principal object. resides in the provision of a nut'having a projection or 5 protrusion from one face thereof whereby the nut may be secured to a plate or other suitable object.

Another object of the invention resides in 0 a novel process of producing the nut by a punch 1 the nut being cut and pressed from a sheet or strip of steel.

A further object of our invention consists in the provision of aunt and the process of making the same, in which a projection or protrusion is formed on one face thereof whereby the nut may be secured to a plate or other desirable object, the projection or protrusion having a flared interior recess acting as a guide for the bolt to be engaged with the nut and preventing damage to the threads of the nut as the bolt is inserted.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds,

our invention consists in the novel details of construction and arrangement of parts, de-

scribed in the following specification and illus trated in the accompanying drawing, and while we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, as they now appear to us, it will be understood that such changes maybe made as will fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:- v

Fig. 1 is a fragmental vertical section showing the first step in the process which consists. in cutting or stamping a blank from the sheet or strip of material.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental vertical section, with ond step in the process wherein a punch is pressing a recess in the upper face of the blank to form a cupped projection on the lower face of the blank.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental vertical section showing the third step in the process in which a lower punch is in'raised position to complete the opening through the blank and to form the projection or protrusion on one face thereof.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section through a completed nut. v

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section through a nut and a strip of material to which it is secured. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the press so that there is a minimum loss by scrap,

parts shown in side elevation, showing the sec-.

- drawing.

nut secured to a strip of material of relatively less thickness than that disclosed in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a slightly modified form of invention wherein a recess ,or groove is being formed around the face projection or protrusion.

Fig. 8 is a transverse vertical section through a completed nut formed by the process illustrated in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a transverse vertical section through a nut of the construction shown in Fig. 8, show-- ing the nut secured to a plate or strip of material.

Fig. 10 represents a transverse vertical section through a nut and a strip of material showing the position of the nut to be welded to the face of the plate; and

Fig. 11 is atransverse vertical section showing the nut welded to the strip of material.

In the drawing 1 and 2 indicate portions of the press machine forming a guide for the strip or sheet of material 3 which is fed through the machine, in any suitable or desired manner, and from which the blanks 4, to form the nut, are cut or pressed by means of the die 5 which operates in aligned openings formed in the por tions 1 and 2 of the machine, as shown more particularly in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing. The first step in our improved process is illustrated in Fig. l of the drawing in which a blank 5 4 is pressed or cut from the sheet or strip 3.

The die 5 is provided with the vertically ex tending opening 6 in which operates a punch 7, the lower end of which is tapered as shown at 8 and adapted, in the second step of the process to form a recess in the'upper face of the blank 4 and in the formation of said recess to form the cupped projection 9 on the bottom face of the blank.

A sleeve 10 operates in the opening in the portion 1 of the press and is in alignment with the cutting die 5 and forms a support for the nut blank 4 as is quite clearly illustrated in the Operable in the sleeve 10 is a bottom punch .11 provided" on its upper end with a tapered projection 12 of reduced diameter forming a shoulder 13, the outer edge of which is beveled as shown at 14 for a purpose which will be presently described. Formed in the upper face of the shoulder 13, between the projection 12 and tapered edge 14 is a circumferentially extending groove 15, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawing. In the third step in the process of forming the nut the punch 11 is raised to project through the cupped extension 9 formed by the upper punch 7 and this upward movement of the lower punch .11 turns the material of the cupped extension 9 inwardly or back into the recess formed by the upper punch thereby forming a smooth edge. A portion of the material formed by the cupped projection 9 enters the groove 15, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3 of the drawing, to form the flange 16 on the bottom face of the blank 4 and the portion of the punch between the projection 12 and the groove forms a flared recess l'l' within the flange 16 of greater diameter than the opening 18 in the blank which is threaded as the fourth step in the process. With these steps in the process completed we provide the completed nut, shown more particularly in Fig. 4 of the drawing, in which the flange or projection 16 is formed on one face of the nut and provides the interior recess 17 which acts as a guide as the bolt is inserted to be engaged with the threads of the opening 18. We wish to lay particular stress on the fact that in the second step of the process the upper punch does not form an opening entirely through the blank, but instead forms a recess in the upper face of the blank and a cupped projection from the lower face. As the lower punch 11 is raised it forces the material of the cupped projection 9 back into the recess formed by the upper die to "provide the flange 16 around the bottom face of the blank and to form a smooth edge flange. Of course, it will be understood that the projection 12 of the punch 11 passes entirely through the blank to form the opening 18 which is later threaded in the last step of the process.

Our improved form of nut is particularly adapted where a nut is to be secured to a sheet of material and where two pieces of sheet material are to be bolted together either in contact or separated by a hollow wall. It is of particular use in the automobile industry, by stove and metal furniture manufacturers, and refrigerator manufacturers.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing we have illustrated a nut of the construction shown in Fig. 4 secured to a plate by passing the flange or projection 16 through an opening in the plate and offsetting the end thereof to engage the opposite side or face of the plate. In Fig. 5 the plate 19 is of somewhat greater thickness than' the plate 20 shown in Fig. 6. In securing the nut to the plate 20 the opening through which the flange or projection 16 passes will have to be of a somewhat greater diameter than the opening formed in the plate 19 in order to accommodate the flow or extra thickness of metal which will result from pressing on the end of the flange or projection. It will thus be seen that our improved form of nut is adapted to be secured to plates or sheets of various thicknesses or gauge. The projection or flange 16 of the nut is in reality used as a rivet for securing the nut to theplate.

At times it is desirable to so connect the nut to a plate that the end of the projection or flange 16 will be flush with the face of the plate as shown in Fig. 9 of the drawing. In order that this may be accomplished the nut is provided in that face having the projection or flange with a circumferentially ext nding groove 21, as shown more particularly in Fig. 8 of the drawing, surrounding the flange or projection and this groove will receive the edge of the opening formed in the plate 22, the edge around the opening being bent inwardly as shown at 23. To form the groove 21 in the face of the nut the lower punch 11 has its edge around the reduced projection 12 extend upwardly, as shown at 24, a distance above the shoulder 13, as shown more particularly in Fig. 7. Therefore as the punch is raised to form the opening in the? nut and-the flange or projection 16 the edge 24 will project or press inwardly of the face of the nut to form the groove. In all other respects the process of forming the nut and-the construction of the nut is the same as that described in connection with Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive of the drawing.

In Figs. 10 and 11 of the drawing we have shown the nut of the construction shown in Fig. 4 adapted to be secured to the plate 24 by welding. As shown when this is to be done no opening is formed in the plate 25 and the flange or projection 16 of the nut is brought into contact with the face of the plate. When the weld ing operation takes place the metal forming the flange. 16 will naturally flow and the nut will be connected to the plate as shown more particularly in Fig. 11 of the drawing. It is of particular advantage to connect the nut to the plate in this manner where it is desired that the plate not be perforated and where a nanufacturer requires one face of the plate to be free of holes or projections.

From the above detailed description it is thought that the construction of our improved formof nut'and the method or process of making the same will be clearly understood. It will be seen that the nut is produced by a punch press and that'the nuts are formed from blanks cut from a strip or sheet of material. The pro jection is formed on one face of the nut by initially forming a cupped projection, without forming an opening through the blank, and then punching or pressing a portion of the material forming the cupped projection back into the recess formed by the initial punching and pressing of the metal to provide theflange or projection 16. The edge of the flange or projection will be smooth and not ragged. At the same time by forming the flared recess 17, within the flange or projection 16, the bolt to be engaged with the nut may be guided into engagement with the threads of the opening 18 and the threads are protected from damage during initial insertion of the end of the bolt. With the construction shown in Figs. '7, 8 and 9 the nut may be secured to a plate in such a manner that there will not be a projection of the flange of the nut beyond the face of the plate and in Figs. 10 and 11 the nut is adapted to be secured to a plate by means of a welding process.

Having fully described our inventin what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. The process of forming a nut which consists' in initially displacing by a movement in one direction a portion of a blank to provide a recess in one face and to project a portion of the material from the opposite face without forming an opening therethrough, then by movement in an opposite direction turning a portion of the material back to form an opening through the projected material and to form a flange projecting from the face of the blank, the formation of the opening in the projected material completing an opening in the body of the blank, and finally threading the opening in the body of the blank.

2. The process of forming a nut which consists in cutting a blank from a sheet or strip of material, next displacing by a movement in one direction a portion of the blank to provide a recess in one face and to project a portion of the material from the opposite face without forming an opening therethrough, next by movement in an opposite direction turning a portion of the material back to form an opening through the projected material and to form a flange projecting from the face of the blank, the formation of the opening in the projected material completing an opening through the body of the blank, and finally threading the opening in the body of the blank.

3. The process of forming a nut which consists in initially displacing by movement in one direction a portion of a blank to provide a recess in one face and to project a portion of the material from the opposite face without forming an opening therethrough, then by movement in an opposite direction turning a portion of the material back to form an opening through the projected material and to form a flange projecting from the face of the blank with a flared recess within the flange, the formation of the opening in the projected material completing an opening through the body of the blank communicating with the recess, and finally threading the opening in the body of the blank.

4. The process of forming a nut which consists in initially displacing by movement in one direction a portion of a blank to provide a recess in one face and to project a portion of the material from the opposite face without forming an opening therethrough, then by movement in an opposite direction turning a portion of the material back to form an opening through the projected material to form a flange projecting from the face of the blank and a recess in the face of the blank around the projection, the formation of the opening in the projected material completing an opening through the body of the sists in initially moving a punch towards and into engagement with a blank to form a recess in one face of the blank and to project a portion of the material from the opposite face without forming an opening therethrough, then moving a second punch in an opposite direction towards the blank to engage the projected portion of the material to form an opening therethrough and to turn a portion of the material to form a flange, the formation of the opening in the projected material completing an opening through the body of the blank, and finally threading the opening in the body of the blank.

6. The process of forming a nut from a blank of material by successive movements of punches in opposite directions, the first movement of one punch in one direction initially forming a recess in one face of the blank and projecting a portion of the material from the opposite face without forming an opening therethrough, and the movement of the second punch in the opposite direction forming an opening through the projected material and blank and turning a portion of the projected material back to form a flange around the opening.

'1. The process of forming a nut which consists in initially displacing by movement in one direction a portion of a blank to provide a re cess in one face and to project a portion of the material from the opposite face, then by movement in an opposite direction turning a portion of the projected material back to form a flange projecting from the face of the blank, the movement in forming the flange completing an opening through the projected portion of the material and the body of the blank, and finally threading the opening in the body of the blank.

JASON A. FITCH. CLHFORD D. WATSON. 

